The ‘Chemtrails’ Conspiracy Theory Dogging the Battle Against Drought

Rainmaker updated cloud-seeding technology with drones and AI, but it’s a target of people who believe the government is secretly manipulating the weather

Photography for The Wall Street Journal. Reporting by Kris Maher.

A drone flying in the sky above mountains and clouds.

The Wall Street Journal commissioned me to spend a couple of days documenting the cloud-seeding startup Rainmaker and its efforts to boost precipitation in the West.

The company, helmed by 25-year-old founder and CEO Augustus Doricko, is now flying their proprietary drones into clouds thousands of feet above the ground and spraying small amounts of silver iodide in an effort to force the clouds to release more of their trapped moisture. Their operation brings novel approaches to cloud seeding, which has been in practice in the West since the 1950s.

But it’s also earned them accusations of weather manipulation. After the deadly Texas floods in July, which happened 150 miles from a Rainmaker cloud seeding operation, Doricko and Rainmaker were personally called out in online posts from Marjorie Taylor Greene and retired general Michael Flynn.

From Kris Maher’s reporting:

Doricko said he understands the skeptics. “Twenty-five-year-old mullet man says he can control the weather by emitting heavy metals into the clouds above you,” he said. “That is a notion that should raise eyebrows.” 

A man stands in front of a large wall of monitors displaying weather maps and graphs, with two other people working on computers beside him in a control room.
Group of young people preparing camping or outdoor gear beside pickup trucks during late afternoon or evening with cloudy sky.
A man kneeling on the grass in an open field with mountains in the background, next to a large drone with multiple propellers and equipment mounted on it.
Close-up of cracked and burnt black soil with hints of orange highlights.
Person with brown hair working at multiple computer monitors displaying graphs and charts.
Sunset over a vast desert landscape with low shrubs and mountains in the distance.
A group of people gathered in a conference room, some standing along the wall and others seated at a table, listening to a presentation or discussion.
Sunset over a flat, reflective landscape with mountains in the distance.
A man standing outside among red and white temporary structures, raising his arm and looking up at the sky with a smile.
Two young men working on a laptop inside a tent, with one leaning over and looking intently at the screen and the other sitting nearby. Bright light source behind them, illuminating their workspace.
An aerial view of a suburban neighborhood with houses, trees, and winding streets at sunset, with mountains and open land in the background.
A winding river flowing through a dry, arid landscape with mountains in the distance and a partly cloudy sky.
A man flying a small aircraft, wearing headphones and glasses, looking out of the cockpit at the landscape below.
Young man with blond hair gazing upward, wearing a black Thiel Fellowship sweatshirt, a silver cross necklace, and earphones, outdoors during daytime with a blurred landscape background.
A laptop on a table displaying a map with tracking circles. A person's hand is on the laptop's keyboard. A Mountain Dew soda can and a red cup are beside the laptop. A webcam, some cables, and a plastic bag are also visible on the table. The setting appears to be a tent with a window and fabric walls.
Two people outdoors in a grassy field with mountains in the background, each holding a quadcopter drone.
A man with a beard and a cap stands with his shirt partially illuminated in a dark warehouse setting.
A group of men gathered in a room, with one man sitting and deep in thought with his hand on his chin, while others stand behind him, some with arms crossed and holding a drink.
A young man with blonde hair sitting in a dimly lit room, looking at a computer screen with multiple monitors.